salida colorado wedding photographer
COLORADO FALL ELOPEMENT PHOTOS | COLORADO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | HALEY ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY | INDEPENDENCE PASS ELOPEMENT | COLORADO MOUNTAIN ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER | SHANNA + MATT
Shanna & I go way back. Over ten years ago, we went to Auburn University together & she even worked with my husband-to-be at the time. So naturally, when I saw on social media she & Matt got engaged, I began dropping heavy hints that they could come elope in the mountains of Colorado. Just the two of them. Turns out that idea was right up their alley! We started chatting about it the year before, but it came to fruition in the following fall. This Colorado mountain elopement photographer was ecstatic.
The day finally came where we were reunited. Shanna & Matt had not told any family & friends that they were planning to elope when they left for the trip. I felt like I was in on a secret special mission. On the drive up, I also amused myself on the drive in that it was the 21st of September just like one of my favorite Earth, Wind & Fire songs.
When we met up in Leadville, I walked in their room to find Matt sitting motionless in a chair in the corner. Despite plenty of high altitude hiking he’d done in the past, altitude sickness came upon him that day. We scrambled to find an oxygen bar down the street & that thankfully helped him enough to do the photo session! We began on the beach at Twin Lakes on this surprisingly warm, cloudless day.
TWIN LAKES – COLORADO FALL ELOPEMENT
Independence Pass Elopement
As we drove up the Colorado mountains from the yellow aspens of Twin Lakes towards Independence Pass, the light began to get low quickly & the wind picked up. It was quite chilly for these two Georgians as they quickly slipped into their elopement attire.
For mountain top elopements where it’s just the couple & me, there’s always that “what do we do?” moment. Unlike a full production wedding, things must just flow organically. You two exchange what words you have for each other & I will step out and document.
What followed had me misty eyed for these two. The setting sun shed its golden light glowing over them. I watched these two people, who present themselves in a very strong way, melt at hearing the words in each other’s vows. Shanna had to rewrite the vows (she was sure she packed but couldn’t find) on her hotel reservation paper. 
And one from the oxygen bar earlier in the day for fun! haha!
“Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away
Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing
As we danced in the night
Remember how the stars stole the night away”
In the key that our souls were singing
As we danced in the night
Remember how the stars stole the night away”
-Earth Wind & Fire
Congrats and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Shanna & Matt!